In Semptember of 2007 Israel destroyed a seemingly random construction site in Syria. This bombing took the world by surprise, it even appeared the United States was taken off guard (though I would doubt that Israel would perform such an act without the wink-wink from Washington).

Israel claimed it was a nuclear site, to which most of the international world scoffed and doubted. Especially after the debacle that was the WMD intelligence in Iraq.

But who is laughing now. Not only was it indeed a nuclear site, but it was being built with the assistance of the North Korean’s. Just what the world needs, more direct cooperation between North Korea and Syria.

The Jerusalem Post reported on April 28th, that ten North Koreans were killed in the blast and their cremated bodies were being returned to North Korea. Additionally, several North Koreans survived the air strike.

Further, the CIA released imagery to the press showing the site prior to and after the strike. The imagery confirms that the site was likely a nuclear reactor was nearly the spitting image of the North Korean reactor in Yongbyon.

President Bush stated that this revelation of Syrian and North Korean cooperation was done to increase international pressure on Iran, Syria, and North Korea. He added, that the only reason it was not released earlier was due to Israeli fear of regional retaliation (which may actually be in the works).

The most impressive thing about this whole situation is how the world was caught off guard. Israeli intelligence is on the ball and is among the most effective intelligence services in the world. And who can blame them; they are surrounded by countries who want them wiped off the map. Regardless of what one thinks of the Mossad’s tactics, some of which are undoubtedly questionable at best, one can’t deny that they are effective.

One thing that most of the world doesn’t realize is the effectiveness of the intelligence apparatus in countries like the US and Israel (one can also include China, Russia, France, and Britain in that list). Everyday there is a war for information going on just under the surface. Such intelligence services are rarely wrong (though when they are, they really are), Israeli least of all. This is the second time that Israel has bombed a nuclear site, they were criticized for the first one (in Osiraq, Iraq), but were vindicated by history, and they are criticized for this one. Yet again, history will vindicate them again.